In The Garden, Count The Ways

Seven gardening tools in one seems almost too good to be true, but Ames True Temper's new Planter's Buddy is just that. To borrow a line from a sonnet, let me count the ways.

Its curved 6-inch stainless-steel blade has a combination of straight and serrated edges and a notched tip. Rather than scooping, as one does with a trowel, this tool can be used to stab and separate soil, making it easier and faster to put in bulbs and smaller plants. The serrated edge easily splits open bags, and the sharp straight edge can be used to cut smaller branches or sod. The aptly named Planter's Buddy also has a little notch near the handle for cutting twine. And the notched tip makes short work of pulling weeds.

The tool also has 12 1-inch measurement markings down the front of the blade and the side of the handle, and the flat oval end of the handle is handy for tamping down stakes and markers.

The Planter's Buddy has a suggested retail price of $14.99 and is available at Lowe's, Home Depot and True Value stores. For more information on Ames True Temper -- a Camp Hill, Pa., company that has been in business since 1774 -- and for some helpful gardening tips, go to www.amestruetemper.com.